Durbin, Fox host duel over 'God'

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin on Tuesday slammed Fox News’s coverage of the Democratic Party platform for focusing on the removal of the words “God” and “Jerusalem,” saying that the network is “harping on a trifle” and trying to present a false narrative that Democrats are “godless people.”

Fox News’s Bret Baier kicked off the tense interview by asking the Illinois Democrat why the 2012 party platform dropped the word “God” from the document after including it in previous years.

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“Well, I can just basically tell you if the narrative that is being presented on your station and through your channel and your network is that the Democrats are godless people, they ought to know better,” Durbin told Baier. “God is not a franchise of the Republican Party.”

“Those of us who believe in God and those of us who have dedicated our lives to helping others in the name of God don’t want to take a second seat to anyone who is suggesting that one word out of the platform means that the Democrats across America are godless. Come on, Bret,” he added, trying to speak over Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s fiery speech in the background.

Baier defended his line of questioning, noting that he and those at Fox News are “reporting what’s in the platform. In 2008, God was mentioned once. In 2004, he was mentioned seven times. In 2000, God was mentioned four times. The question is, why take it out this time?”

Durbin replied that if Baier is “trying to draw some conclusion that the Democrats are godless, present your evidence. Present your evidence.”

Baier again pushed Durbin to answer why God was not named in the platform.

“I’m just telling you, you are harping on a trifle,” Durbin said.

The Fox News host also asked Durbin to weigh in on the removal of the word “Jerusalem.”

Durbin, who chaired the platform committee for two Democratic conventions, called what he produced “the most unread document in the history of American politics.” Durbin said Baier’s focus on two words left out of this year’s platform suggests “you are not focusing on the real issues that Americans care about.”

Durbin then accused Baier of not living up to Fox’s slogan.

“Those two words coming out means our relationship with Israel has changed?” Durbin asked. “Is that fair, is that balanced?”

The debate wrapped shortly after Durbin noted he wasn’t on the platform committee this time around.